Network-controlled charging system for electric vehicles through use of a remote server

ABSTRACT

A network-controlled charge transfer device for electric vehicles includes a control device to turn electric supply on and off to enable and disable charge transfer for electric vehicles, a transceiver to communicate requests for charge transfer with a remote server and receive communications from the remote server, and a controller, coupled with the control device and the transceiver, to cause the control device to turn the electric supply on based on communication from the remote server.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/013,296,filed Jan. 11, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/019,474 filed Jan. 7, 2008, both of which areincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of systems and methods forrecharging electric vehicles and to network-controlled electricaloutlets used in such systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

The electric car, electric vehicle (EV) and battery electric vehicle areall used to describe automobiles powered by one or more electric motorsutilizing energy stored in rechargeable batteries. The batteries arerecharged by connecting to an electrical outlet. Efficient recharging ofthe batteries typically requires hours and is often done overnight orwhile the electric vehicle is parked for a significant time. The use ofelectric vehicles is limited by the sparse availability of rechargingfacilities. There is a need for more widespread recharging facilities.Furthermore, there is a need for more recharging facilities availablewhere vehicles are parked for longer periods of time.

An important part of any consumer experience is the ease of acquiring aproduct—to recharge an electric vehicle this entails finding anavailable recharging facility, controlling the facility, and paying forthe electricity consumed. There is a need for a communication networkwhich facilitates finding the recharging facility, controlling thefacility, and paying for the electricity consumed.

Electricity grids have periods of high demand from customers where thedemand may approach or even exceed the electricity supply. Conversely,there are periods of low demand which coincide with high electricityproduction. Demand Response is a mechanism for reducing consumption ofelectricity during periods of high demand. For example, consumerservices such as air conditioning and lighting may be reduced duringperiods of high demand according to a preplanned load prioritizationscheme. Demand Response may also be used to increase demand at times ofhigh electricity production. For example, the cost of electricity may bereduced during periods of low demand. Furthermore, some Demand Responsesystems encourage energy storage during periods of low demand, forrelease back into the electricity grid during periods of high demand.For example, battery electric vehicles may be charged during periods oflow power demand and then release power back to the grid during periodsof high demand.

Electric vehicles can be recharged from a local electricity grid. Thesevehicles can also be a source of electric power to be transferred to thelocal electricity grid. The transfer of electricity stored in electricvehicles to the local electric grid is referred to as vehicle-to-grid(V2G). V2G is particularly attractive for electric vehicles which havetheir own charging devices, such as battery electric vehicles withregenerative braking and plug-in hybrid vehicles. V2G is desirable forpeak load leveling—helping to meet the demand for electricity whendemand is at its highest. V2G is not widely available—it is principallybeing used in small pilot schemes. There is a need for more widelyavailable Demand Response and V2G to assist with peak load leveling.

For Demand Response and V2G to be implemented effectively, real timecommunication of a need for power input into the local electricity gridis required. This communication from electric utility companies needs toreach recharging facility managers and electric vehicle owners andusers. There is a need for an efficient communication network formanaging peak load leveling using Demand Response and V2G.

Currently, a major source of revenue for building and maintaininghighways for vehicular traffic is the gasoline tax. Should electricvehicles start to replace significant numbers of gasoline burningvehicles there will be a drop in tax revenues. To compensate for thisloss in revenue, a tax on electricity consumption by electric vehiclesmay be imposed. Such a tax would require accurate measurement andreporting of electricity consumed by electric vehicles. Consequently,there will be a need for a system for collection of taxes andconsumption information.

As is clear from the above discussion, communication networks are anessential part of electric vehicle recharging systems that will meet theneeds of electric vehicle operators, recharging facility operators,utility companies and tax authorities. A survey of communicationnetworks, ranging from local area networks to wide area networks, isprovided below. There is a focus on wireless networks which would beaccessible to mobile communication devices. A variety of mobilecommunication devices are also described.

A radio frequency identification transmitter, commonly referred to as anRFID transmitter, is used for short range communication with an RFIDreceiver. Typical ranges are of the order of one meter to tens ofmeters. An example of an RFID transmitter is a remote keyless entrydevice.

A radio frequency identification transceiver, commonly referred to as anRFID transceiver, is used for short range communication with an RFIDtransponder. (A transceiver is a device that has both a transmitter anda receiver.) Typical ranges are of the order of one meter forcommunication with passive transponders and hundreds of meters forcommunication with active transponders. The longer range of the activetransponders is due to a power supply integrated into the transponder.RFID transponders store information which is broadcast over radiofrequencies when prompted by a specific radio frequency signal from anRFID transceiver. An example of an RFID transponder is a FasTrak® card,primarily used for payment of automotive tolls in California. EachFasTrak® card has a unique code which is associated with a debitaccount. Each time a FasTrak® card passes through a toll collectionpoint, the unique code is transmitted by the card in response to beinginterrogated by an RFID transceiver. The code is detected by the RFIDtransceiver and the toll is debited from the user's account.

A wireless personal area network (WPAN) radio frequency transceiver isused for radio frequency short range (typically within 1-100 meters)communication between devices. An example of such a device is aBluetooth® transceiver, where Bluetooth® refers to a particular standardand protocol primarily designed for short range radio frequencycommunications. Another example is a ZigBee® transceiver, where ZigBee®refers to a standard and protocol designed for short range radiofrequency communications. ZigBee® transceivers form mesh networks.

A wireless local area network transceiver is used for radio frequencycommunication over tens of meters or more between devices. An example ofsuch a device is a Wi-Fi® device, where a Wi-Fi® device is one that isbased on the IEEE 802.11 standard. Another example is a ZigBee®device—see discussion above. Wireless local area networks (WLANs) aretypically configured to provide higher throughput and cover greaterdistances than wireless personal area networks (WPANs); a WLAN typicallyrequires more expensive hardware to set up than a WPAN.

Power line communication (PLC) technology can be used to networkcomputers over electrical power lines. This technology is restricted toshort distances for high-speed transmission of large amounts of data. Analternating current line transceiver is used to enable PLC. A PLCnetwork is another example of a LAN.

Wired local area networks (wired LANs), which include both wire andoptical fiber, are also used to connect computers. A wired LAN isdistinguished from a PLC LAN by the use of dedicated wires, used onlyfor carrying communication signals and not used as a power lines. TheEthernet is the most widespread wired LAN technology.

Wide area networks (WANs) are computer networks that cover a broadgeographical area—a network that crosses city, regional or nationalboundaries. The best known example of a WAN is the Internet. TheInternet is a worldwide, publicly accessible plurality of interconnectedcomputer networks that use a standard protocol—Transmission ControlProtocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP). Many local area networks are partof the Internet. There are also privately owned WANs. The World Wide Web(WWW), often referred to as the Web, is a collection of interconnectedweb pages. The Web is accessible via the Internet.

There is a need to effectively integrate these wide area networks, localarea networks and short range communication devices into systems usedfor recharging electric vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system for network-controlled charging of electric vehicles and thenetwork-controlled electrical outlets used in this system are describedherein. The system comprises electrical outlets, called Smartlets™,networked as follows: Smartlets™ and electric vehicle operatorscommunicate via wireless communication links; Smartlets™ are connectedby a LAN to a data control unit; and the data control unit is connectedto a server via a WAN. The server stores: consumer profiles (includingaccount information for payment); utility company power grid load data(updated in real time by the utility company); and electricityconsumption data that may be required for government tax purposes. Thesystem may be vehicle-to-grid enabled.

Vehicle operators may use a variety of mobile communication devices tocommunicate with the Smartlets™, including: one-way RFID, two-way RFID,WPAN and WLAN devices. Communication between the Smartlets™ and the datacontrol unit may be either via a PLC LAN or a WLAN. The WAN may be aprivate WAN, or the Internet.

Some systems also include a payment station, remote from the Smartlets™,which can be set up to allow vehicle operators to pay for both parkingand recharging of their vehicles. When payment stations are included inthe system, the data control units may conveniently be incorporated intothe payment stations. Some system may be enhanced with a device fordetecting the presence of a vehicle occupying the parking space in frontof the Smartlet™. Such devices may include sonar, TV camera andinduction coil devices. Furthermore, parking meter display units may beattached to the Smartlets™ to provide parking information, including:(1) paid parking time remaining; and (2) parking violation.

A Smartlet™ comprises an electrical receptacle configured to receive anelectrical connector for recharging an electric vehicle; an electricpower line connecting the receptacle to a local power grid; a controldevice on the electric power line, for switching the receptacle on andoff; a current measuring device on the electric power line, formeasuring current flowing through the receptacle; a controllerconfigured to operate the control device and to monitor the output fromthe current measuring device; a local area network transceiver connectedto the controller, the local area network transceiver being configuredto connect the controller to the data control unit; and a communicationdevice connected to the controller, the communication device beingconfigured to connect the controller to a mobile wireless communicationdevice, for communication between the operator of the electric vehicleand the controller.

A method of transferring charge between a local power grid and anelectric vehicle is disclosed herein. The method comprises the followingsteps: (1) assembling a user profile, the user profile containingpayment information, the user profile being stored on a server; (2)providing an electrical receptacle for transferring charge, thereceptacle being connected to the local power grid by an electric powerline, charge transfer along the electric power line being controlled bya controller configured to operate a control device on the electricpower line; (3) receiving a request to the controller for chargetransfer, the request being made from a mobile wireless communicationdevice by an operator of the electric vehicle, the controller beingconnected to a communication device for communication with the mobilewireless communication device; (4) relaying the request from thecontroller to the server, the controller being connected to a local areanetwork for communication to the server via a wide area network; (5)validating a payment source for the operator of the electric vehiclebased on the user profile corresponding to the operator; (6) enablingcharge transfer by communicating from the server to the controller toactivate the control device; (7) monitoring the charge transfer using acurrent measuring device on the electric power line, the controllerbeing configured to monitor the output from the current measuring deviceand to maintain a running total of charge transferred; (8) detectingcompletion of the charge transfer; and (9) on detecting completion,sending an invoice to the payment source and disabling charge transfer.

The method of transferring charge between a local power grid and anelectric vehicle may also include the step of determining chargetransfer parameters. This determination may be based on power grid loaddata, provided by the utility company and available on the server. Forexample, the utility company's Demand Response system may limitrecharging of electric vehicles during periods of high electricitydemand. This determination may also be made based on the user profileprovided by the vehicle operator and available on the server. The userprofile may include information such as whether the vehicle operatorwants to: charge the electric vehicle only during periods of lower powerrates; not charge the vehicle during periods of high power grid load;and sell power to the local grid.

Furthermore, the method of transferring charge between a local powergrid and an electric vehicle may also include the steps of: determiningavailability of parking spaces with Smartlets™; communicatingavailability to the server where the information is accessible byvehicle operators on the Web. A vehicle detector, as described above,may be used to determine whether a parking space is available.

When a payment station is available to a vehicle operator, a request tothe Smartlet™ controller for vehicle charging may be made from thepayment station instead of by a mobile communication device.Furthermore, the payment station may be used to pay for parking,independent of electric vehicle recharging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network-connected charging outletsystem according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a network-connected charging outletsystem according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of a network-connected chargingoutlet of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram of a parking meter display unit ofthe invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a server of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a remote payment system of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference tothe drawings, which are provided as illustrative examples of theinvention so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention. Notably, the figures and examples below are not meant tolimit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment, butother embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all ofthe described or illustrated elements.

A first embodiment of the network-controlled charge transfer system 100for charging electric vehicles is shown in FIG. 1. The system 100comprises a network-controlled charge transfer device 110, a local powergrid 120, a data control unit 130, and a server 140. The system 100interfaces with an electric vehicle 150, with an electrical connector152, and an electric vehicle operator 160, via a mobile communicationdevice 162. The network-controlled charge transfer device 110, referredto herein as a Smartlet™, is connected to the local power grid 120 by anelectric power line 170, and to the electric vehicle 150 by theelectrical connector 152. The flow of electrical power may be in eitherdirection for both of these electrical connections. In other words, theelectric vehicle 150 can be recharged from the local power grid 120, orthe local power grid 120 can receive power from the electric vehicle150. The Smartlet™ 110 has a communication link to the data control unit130 over a local area network (LAN) 180. The LAN 180 may be either awireless local area network (WLAN) or a power line communication (PLC)network. The data control unit 130 has a communication link to theserver 140 over a wide area network (WAN) 185. The electric vehicleoperator 160 uses the mobile communication device 162 to establish acommunication link to the Smartlet™ 110 over a wireless network 190.This wireless network may be a WLAN or a wireless personal area network(WPAN). The communication link between the electric vehicle operator 160and the Smartlet™ 110 allows information to be shared which enablesrecharging of the electric vehicle 150.

The Smartlet™ 110 comprises an electrical receptacle 112 and indicatorlights 114. The electrical receptor 112 and the electrical connector 152are configured to make an electrical connection allowing safe flow ofelectrical power between the Smartlet™ 110 and the electrical vehicle150. Examples of suitable receptacles are those conforming to the NEMA(National Electrical Manufacturers Association) standards 5-15, 5-20 and14-50. Although, other receptacles will be used for systems outside theUnited States which operate at voltages other than 110V (for example220V) and which are required to meet different standards. In preferredembodiments the electrical receptacle 112 has a cover. The cover islockable and is released by the Smartlet™ 110 upon receipt of a requestfor charging of an electrical vehicle 150 by the electric vehicleoperator 160. This request may be made by the mobile communicationdevice 162, as described above.

The indicator lights 114 are used to show the operational status of theSmartlet™ 110—for example, the status may be: charging in progress,charging complete, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) in progress and error warning.The indicator lights 114 may be LEDs (light emitting diodes), may becapable of showing a number of different colors and may be capable ofcontinuous or flashing modes of operation. Alternatively, the indicatorlights 114 may be replaced by an alphanumeric display.

The local power grid 120 is the electrical supply grid owned andoperated by local utility companies. Although, the local power grid 120does extend to parts of the electrical supply network that are not ownedby the utility company, such as electrical cables on private premises.

The data control unit 130 acts as a bridge between the LAN and the WAN,and enables communication between the Smartlet™ 110 and the server 140.The server 140 is generally remote from the Smartlet™ 110.

The system 100 is shown in FIG. 1 with only one Smartlet™ 110; however,the system will be comprised of many Smartlet™ 110, all linked to theserver 140 through one or more data control units 130. There will be onedata control unit 130 for each group of geographically proximate (withinthe range of the same local area network) Smartlets™ 110.

The electric vehicle 150 is any battery operated electric vehicle,including EVs and plug in hybrids. Electric vehicles 150 that have thenecessary V2G electronics are able to provide power to the local powergrid 120.

The mobile communication device 162, used by the electric vehicleoperator 160, can be any type of WLAN or WPAN compatible device.Examples of compatible devices are: one way and two-way RFID devices, anexample of the latter being a FasTrac® card; Wi-Fi® devices, such as apersonal computer; BlueTooth® devices, such as a mobile phone; andZigBee® devices. In some embodiments of the invention the vehicle user160 can monitor charging using the mobile communication device 162. Thiscan be implemented by allowing access to the vehicle user 160 of thepower consumed by the electric vehicle 150, which is monitored by theSmartlet™ 110 and stored on the server 140. Access can either bedirectly to the Smartlet™ 110 over a LAN or to the server 140 over theInternet.

A second embodiment of the network controlled charge transfer system 200for charging electric vehicles 150 is shown in FIG. 2. The system 200comprises a network-controlled charge transfer device (Smartlet™ 110, alocal power grid 120, a payment station 135, and a server 140. Thesystem 200 interfaces with an electric vehicle 150, with an electricalconnector 152, and an electric vehicle operator 160, via a mobilecommunication device 162. The Smartlet™. 110 is connected to the localpower grid 120 by an electric power line 170, and to the electricvehicle 150 by the electrical connector 152. The flow of electricalpower may be in either direction for both of these electricalconnections. The Smartlet™ 110 has a communication link to the paymentstation 135 over a LAN 180. The LAN 180 may be either a WLAN or a PLCnetwork. The payment station 135 has a communication link to the server140 over a WAN 185. (In this embodiment, the payment station 135 istaking the place of the data control unit 130 for acting as a bridgebetween the LAN and the WAN.) The electric vehicle operator 160 may usethe mobile communication device 162 to establish a communication link tothe Smartlet™ 110 over a wireless network 190. This wireless network maybe a WLAN or a WPAN. Instead of using a mobile communication device 162,the electric vehicle operator 160 may manually interact with the paymentstation 135, which then sends appropriate instructions to the Smartlet™110 regarding charging of the electric vehicle 150. In preferredembodiments these instructions will include an instruction to unlock acover over the electrical receptacle 112, thus allowing the vehicleoperator 160 to connect the electric vehicle 150 to the electricalreceptacle 112 with the electrical connector 152.

The payment station 135 can be several tens of meters remote from theSmartlet™ 110. The payment station 135 is shown comprising a currencyreader, a credit card reader, a receipt printer, a display and inputbuttons. However, the payment station does not have to include all ofthese components. For example, some payment stations may not include acurrency reader and will only allow payment by credit card using thecredit card reader. The electric vehicle operator 160 can use thepayment station 135 to pay for and schedule recharging of the electricvehicle 150, and also for V2G transactions. The payment station 135 mayalso be used to pay for parking. Further details of the payment station135 are provided in FIG. 6 and the related description.

A schematic of the Smartlet™ 110 is provided in FIG. 3. The Smartlet™110 comprises an electrical receptacle 112, a lockable cover 1125 overthe electrical receptacle 112, a control device 171, a current measuringdevice 172, an electric power line 170, a controller 111, a display unit113, a vehicle detector 115, a WLAN transceiver 181, an alternatingcurrent line transceiver 182, a WPAN transceiver 191 and an RFIDtransceiver 192.

Electric power is delivered to receptacle 112 along power line 170.Controller 111 is used to lock and unlock the cover 1125; the lockmechanism is electromechanical. When unlocked, the cover 1125 may belifted by the vehicle operator 160 in order to connect the electricvehicle 150 to the electrical receptacle 112 using the electricalconnector 152. Control device 171 is used to turn the electric supply atthe receptacle 112 on and off. The control device 171 is preferably asolid state device and is controlled by controller 111. The currentflowing along the power line 170 is measured by current measuring device172. An example of a suitable measuring device 172 is an induction coil.The controller 111 is programmed to monitor the signal from the currentmeasuring device 172 and to calculate the total power either: consumed(in recharging the electric vehicle); or transferred to the local powergrid 120 from the electric vehicle 150 (V2G). It is also envisaged thatpower may be both consumed and transferred to the grid during the timean electric vehicle is connected to the Smartlet™ 110, in which case thecontroller 111 will calculate both the power consumed and the powertransferred to the local power grid 120.

The indicators 114 and display 113 are controlled by the controller 111and are used to provide information to the Smartlet™ 110 user. Theindicators 114 are discussed in more detail above, with reference toFIG. 1, and the display 113 is discussed in more detail below withreference to FIG. 4.

Vehicle detector 115 is used to detect the presence of a vehicle in theparking space corresponding to the Smartlet™ 110. The vehicle detector115 is controlled by the controller 111. The vehicle detector 115 is adetector such as a sonar sensor array, a camera, or an induction coil.The sonar array is an array as used on the rear bumper of automobiles todetect close proximity to an object; this array can be attached to theSmartlet™ 110 or will be mounted to a support structure in closeproximity to the Smartlet™ 110. The camera is a digital camera providinga video signal to the Smartlet™ 110; the video signal is processed by anobject recognition program to detect the presence of a vehicle or otherobstruction. The induction coil is either embedded in the pavement ofthe parking space or is protected by a roadworthy casing attached to thesurface of the pavement. The induction coil is connected to theSmartlet™ 110 and detects the presence of large metal objects in closeproximity to the coil (such as an engine block, electric motor or reardifferential of a vehicle).

The controller 111 is shown with four transceivers—a WLAN transceiver181, an alternating current line transceiver 182, a WPAN transceiver 191and an RFID transceiver 192. A transceiver is a device that both sendsand receives signals, allowing for two-way communication. The WLANtransceiver 181 allows for the controller to communicate with mobilecommunication devices which are carried by a vehicle operator 160 (seecommunication link 190 in FIGS. 1 & 2) and with a data control unit 130or payment station 135 (see communication link 180 in FIGS. 1 & 2). WLANtransceiver 181 could be a Wi-Fi® transceiver. The alternating currentline transceiver allows the controller to communicate on a PLC networkwith a control data unit 130 or payment station 135 (see communicationlink 180 in FIGS. 1 & 2). The WPAN transceiver 191 allows the controller111 to communicate with mobile communication devices 162 which arecarried by the vehicle operator 160. WPAN transceiver 191 could be aBlueTooth® or ZigBee® transceiver. The RFID transceiver 192 allows thecontroller to communicate with a compatible RFID device carried by thevehicle operator 160. An example of an RFID device that could be carriedby the vehicle operator 160 is a FasTrak® card. A FasTrak® device is anexample of a two-way RFID communication device. Although, a one-way RFIDcommunication device from vehicle operator 160 to controller 111 can beutilized. Not all embodiments of the Smartlet™ 110 have all four typesof transceiver; however, all Smartlet™ 110 will have at least onewireless transceiver for communication with compatible mobile wirelesscommunication devices 162 available to vehicle operators 160, and onetransceiver for communication with the data control unit 130. See FIGS.1 & 2.

A more detailed view of the display unit 113 is shown in FIG. 4. Anexample of parking information is shown on the display unit 113—anindicator 1131 shows the paid parking time remaining in minutes 1132 ora parking violation 1133. This parking information may be displayed inmany other ways than that shown in FIG. 4. The display unit 113 may bean LCD (liquid crystal display); although other passive flat paneldisplays such as OLEDs (organic light emitting displays) and otheremissive flat panel displays such as FEDs (field emission displays) maybe used. When a passive display unit 113 is used it is preferred that itbe backlit, so as to be readily viewed in low ambient light conditions.The display unit 113 is attached to the Smartlet™ 110 so that it isreadily observable by the vehicle operator 160. For example, the display113 may be mounted on a pole at a height of approximately 125 cm abovethe pavement, and the Smartlet™ 110 would also be mounted on the pole ata convenient height for the vehicle operator. The indicator lights 114may be positioned next to the display 113, or may be positioned on theSmartlet™ 110 itself, as shown in FIGS. 1 & 2. The display 113 iscontrolled by the controller 111. The display 113 may also be used todisplay information regarding the vehicle charging process, such as:time charging, power consumed, estimated time to completion of charging,vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power transferred, general status indications anderror warnings.

A schematic diagram of the server 140 is shown in FIG. 5. The server 140comprises a computer 141, report generator 142, and database 143. Theserver 140 is configured to communicate with the following: Smartlet™network 195; World Wide Web 197; utility companies 144, for receivingpower load management data; credit card companies 145, for creditauthorization and charging; FasTrak® database 146, for debiting FasTrak®accounts; and banks 146, for debiting bank accounts. The database 143 isused to store consumer profiles and other data required for reportgeneration, as described below.

The report generator 142 creates reports such as: utility companyreports 1421, detailing power consumed and V2G power sold to local powergrid 120; subscriber reports 1422, detailing power consumed and V2Gpower sold to the local power grid 120, account balance, payments andinvoices, and subscriber profile data; and tax authority reports 1423,providing details of taxable transactions.

The Smartlet™ network 195 comprises a multiplicity of data control units130 and/or payment stations 135, each data control unit 130 and/orpayment station 135 being connected by a communication link 180 to amultiplicity of Smartlets™ 110. The communication link 185 between thecomputer 141 and the Smartlets™ network 195 is a WAN.

The server 140 is interfaced with the Web 197 to allow subscribers(owners and operators 160 of electric vehicles 150) to do the following:(1) set-up user/consumer profiles; and (2) determine availability ofSmartlets™ 110 for recharging their electric vehicles 150. A userprofile contains financial account information—details required forpayment—and may also include information such as whether the vehicleoperator wants to: charge the electric vehicle only during periods oflower power rates; not charge the vehicle during periods of high powergrid load; and sell power to the local grid. The availability ofSmartlets™ 110 is stored on the server and the information is collectedfrom the Smartlet™ network 195. There are two ways that the availabilityof a Smartlet™ 110 can be determined: (1) using a vehicle detector 115(see FIG. 3 and related description) to determine whether the parkingspace corresponding to the Smartlet™ 110 is available; and (2) flagginga Smartlet™ 110 as being unavailable whenever charging is ongoing, V2Gis ongoing or parking has been paid for.

A schematic diagram of the payment station 135 is shown in FIG. 6. Thepayment station 135 comprises a controller 1351, a display 1352, a setof buttons 1352, a credit card reader 1354, a receipt printer 1355, acurrency reader 1356, a wireless transceiver 1357 and an alternatingcurrent line transceiver 1358.

The display 1352 provides a vehicle operator 160 with informationregarding recharging and/or parking their electric vehicle 150. Thedisplay shares the same characteristics as the display 113 discussedabove with reference to FIG. 4. However, the display 1352 may also betouch sensitive, allowing a vehicle user to input information directlyon the display screen 1352. The buttons 1353 allow for input ofinformation requested from the display 1352.

The credit card reader 1354 is used for reading credit cards, debitcards, smart cards, and other cards that are used for identificationpurposes or for making payment. The printer 1355 is used for printingreceipts, when requested by the consumer. The printer 1355 may also beused to print receipts for displaying in the electric vehicle 150 toshow that recharging and/or parking is properly permitted. The currencyreader 1356 is used for accepting currency—notes and/or coins—forpayment. The currency reader 1356 is able to authenticate and identifythe value of currency accepted.

The payment station 135 is networked to Smartlets™ 110 via either a WLANor a PLC. The payment station controller 1351 takes the place of datacontrol unit 130 in acting as a bridge between the LAN 180 and the WAN185. See FIGS. 1 & 2.

A vehicle user 160 can use the network-controlled charge transfersystems 100 and 200 for charging their electric vehicle 150. A vehicleuser 160 who has a user profile on the server 140 is referred to as asubscriber. Some examples of how the systems 100 and 200 can be used areprovided below.

Vehicle Charging Utilizing a Mobile Wireless Communication Device

-   -   1. a subscriber uses the Internet to establish a profile, which        includes setting-up payment by credit card, debiting a bank        account, a FasTrak® account, a Paypal® account, or other        financial service;    -   2. the subscriber uses a wireless mobile communication device        162, such as a mobile phone or a FasTrak® card, to request to        the Smartlet™ 110 to charge the electric vehicle 150;    -   3. the subscriber connects the electric vehicle 150 to the        Smartlet™ 110 using the connector 152 (see FIGS. 1 & 2);    -   4. the Smartlet™ 110 relays this request over the communication        network to the server 140;    -   5. the server 140 accesses the subscriber profile from the        database 143, validates the payment source by contacting the        credit card company, FasTrak® database or bank, and via the        communication network enables the Smartlet™ 110 to charge the        vehicle 150;    -   6. based on the subscriber profile and load management data from        the utility company the server determines the charging periods        and communicates this information to the Smartlet™ 110;    -   7. the Smartlet™ 110 monitors the charging current, as described        above with reference to FIG. 3;    -   8. when the vehicle 150 is disconnected from the Smartlet™ 110,        charging is disabled and a bill is sent to the payment source.        Note that determining when the electric vehicle 150 is        disconnected from the Smartlet™ 110 can be done by: detecting        when the current flow goes to zero; or using a sensor on the        receptacle 112 which detects the mechanical removal of the        connector 152. If a sensor is used, the sensor is monitored by        controller 111. See FIG. 3.

Note that the load management data from the utility company may limitthe ability to recharge the vehicle 150 or the recharge rate for vehicle150, according to a Demand Response system. For example, the utilitycompany could send a message to the Smartlet™ server 140 requiring areduction in load. The Smartlet™ server 140 then turns off charging ofsome vehicles 150. Which vehicles have charging stopped will depend onthe subscriber profiles and the requirements of the Demand Responsesystem. The Demand Response system and subscriber profiles may alsoallow for V2G.

The general procedure described above is also followed for V2G or acombination of charging and V2G, except that V2G will result in creditsto the subscriber's account for sale of power to the local power grid120.

Vehicle Charging Utilizing a Payment Station

-   -   1. vehicle user 160 uses the payment station 135 to request and        pay for charging the vehicle 150;    -   2. vehicle user 160 connects the electric vehicle 150 to the        Smartlet™ 110 using connector 152;    -   3. the payment station 135 communicates via WAN 185 with server        140 for payment authorization;    -   4. the payment station 135 enables the Smartlet™ 110 for        charging;    -   5. when the vehicle is disconnected from the Smartlet™ 110,        charging is disabled, the payment station 135 is notified, the        payment station 135 notifies the server 140 and a bill is sent        to the payment source.        Note that the load management data from the utility company may        limit the ability to recharge the vehicle 150 or the recharge        rate for vehicle 150, according to a Demand Response system.

The general procedure described above is also followed for V2G or acombination of charging and V2G, except that V2G will result in creditsto the vehicle user's account for sale of power to the local power grid120.

Vehicle Parking Utilizing a Mobile Wireless Communication Device

-   -   1. a subscriber uses the Internet to establish a profile, which        includes setting-up payment by credit card, debiting a bank        account, a FasTrak® account, a Paypal® account, or other        financial service;    -   2. the subscriber uses a wireless mobile communication device        162, such as a mobile phone, to request to the Smartlet™ 110        parking for the vehicle 150;    -   3. the Smartlet™ 110 relays this request over the communication        network to the server 140;    -   4. the server 140 accesses the subscriber profile from the        database 143, validates the payment source by contacting the        credit card company, FasTrak® database or bank, and via the        communication network sends a message to the Smartlet™ 110 to        allow parking of the vehicle 150;    -   5. the Smartlet™ 110 sets the parking meter shown on display 113        (see FIGS. 3 & 4) and sets the indicators 114, if used;    -   6. the server 140 sends a bill to the payment source.        Optionally, if a vehicle detector 115 is used to detect the        presence of a vehicle, then the amount of time a vehicle is        parked without proper payment may be monitored and communicated        to the payment station 135 and server 140.

Vehicle Parking Utilizing a Payment Station

-   -   1. vehicle user 160 uses the payment station 135 to request and        pay for parking the vehicle 150;    -   2. the payment station 135 communicates via WAN 185 with server        140 for payment authorization;    -   3. the payment station 135 communicates to the Smartlet™ 110 to        allow parking;    -   4. the server 140 sends a bill to the payment source.

The above methods for use of the Smartlet™ network for electric vehiclecharging, V2G and parking can be combined. For example, a parking feemay be imposed in addition to a fee for power consumed in recharging avehicle. Also, a parking fee may be imposed when a vehicle is parked forV2G.

The above embodiments of the present invention have been given asexamples, illustrative of the principles of the present invention.Variations of the apparatus and method will be apparent to those skilledin the art upon reading the present disclosure. These variations are tobe included in the spirit of the present invention. For example, theSmartlet™ network may be used for public and private garage and parkinglot charging of electric vehicles. Furthermore, the Smartlet™ networkmay be used for home charging of electric vehicles, in which case aSmartlet™ receptacle in the home is connected via a LAN and a WAN to theSmartlet™ server 140. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that theSmartlet™ network may also be used for non-vehicle applications,including selling electricity to people in places such as airports andcoffee shops.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a control device toturn electric supply on and off to enable and disable charge transferfor electric vehicles; a transceiver to communicate requests for chargetransfer with a remote server and receive communications from the remoteserver via a data control unit that is connected to the remote serverthrough a wide area network; and a controller, coupled with the controldevice and the transceiver, to cause the control device to turn theelectric supply on based on communication from the remote server.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrical coupler to make aconnection with an electric vehicle, wherein the control device is toturn electric supply on and off by switching the electric coupler on andoff.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electric coupler is anoutlet.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a device tomeasure electricity used during charge transfer.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising: a current measuring device to measurecurrent during charge transfer.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is further configured to calculate power consumed duringcharge transfer.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: acommunication device coupled with the controller, the communicationdevice to receive the requests for charge transfer.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is further to manage charge transferbased on power grid load data received from the remote server.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further to manage chargetransfer based on profiles associated with electric vehicle operators,wherein each profile associated with a particular electric vehicleoperator indicates whether that electric vehicle operator wants tocharge their electric vehicle only during periods of lower power rates.10. A method, comprising: receiving a first request for charge transferfor a first electric vehicle; communicating the first request to aremote server for determination of whether to enable charge transfer,wherein the first request is communicated to the remote server via adata control unit that is connected to the remote server through a widearea network; and responsive to receiving communication from the remoteserver to enable charge transfer, enabling charge transfer for the firstelectric vehicle.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:responsive to detecting completion of the charge transfer, disablingcharge transfer for the first electric vehicle.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein disabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicleincludes causing a control device of a network-controlled chargetransfer device to turn off an electric supply.
 13. The method of claim10, further comprising: receiving information that indicates whether anelectric vehicle operator wants to charge their electric vehicle onlyduring periods of lower power rates; receiving a second request forcharge transfer for a second electric vehicle, the second request beingreceived from the electric vehicle operator of the second electricvehicle; responsive to determining a period of lower power rates exist,enabling charge transfer for the second electric vehicle; and responsiveto determining a period of higher power rates exist, disabling chargetransfer for the second electric vehicle.
 14. The method of claim 10,wherein enabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicle includescausing a control device of a network-controlled charge transfer deviceto turn on an electric supply.
 15. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising: measuring electricity used during charge transfer.
 16. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising: measuring current beingtransferred during the charge transfer.
 17. The method of claim 10,further comprising: maintaining a running total of charge transferredbetween the first electric vehicle and a power grid.
 18. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising: responsive to receiving communication fromthe remote server to disable charge transfer for the first electricvehicle, disabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicle. 19.The method of claim 10, wherein the first request is received from anoperator of the first electric vehicle.
 20. An apparatus, comprising: acontrol device to turn electric supply on and off to enable and disablecharge transfer for electric vehicles; a transceiver to communicaterequests for charge transfer with a remote server and receivecommunications from the remote server; and a controller, coupled withthe control device and the transceiver, to cause the control device toturn the electric supply on based on communication from the remoteserver, and further to manage charge transfer based on power grid loaddata received from the remote server.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20,further comprising an electrical coupler to make a connection with anelectric vehicle, wherein the control device is to turn electric supplyon and off by switching the electric coupler on and off.
 22. Theapparatus of claim 21, wherein the electric coupler is an outlet. 23.The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising: a device to measureelectricity used during charge transfer.
 24. The apparatus of claim 20,further comprising: a current measuring device to measure currentflowing during charge transfer.
 25. The apparatus of claim 20, whereinthe controller is further configured to calculate power consumed duringcharge transfer.
 26. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising: acommunication device coupled with the controller, the communicationdevice to receive the requests for charge transfer.
 27. The apparatus ofclaim 20, wherein the transceiver is to communicate requests for chargetransfer with the remote server via a data control unit that isconnected to the remote server through a wide area network.
 28. Theapparatus of claim 20, wherein the controller is further to managecharge transfer based on profiles associated with electric vehicleoperators, wherein each profile associated with a particular electricvehicle operator indicates whether that electric vehicle operator wantsto charge their electric vehicle only during periods of lower powerrates.
 29. An apparatus, comprising: a control device to turn electricsupply on and off to enable and disable charge transfer for electricvehicles; a transceiver to communicate requests for charge transfer witha remote server and receive communications from the remote server; and acontroller, coupled with the control device and the transceiver, tocause the control device to turn the electric supply on based oncommunication from the remote server, wherein the controller is furtherto manage charge transfer based on profiles associated with electricvehicle operators, wherein each profile associated with a particularelectric vehicle operator is to indicate whether that electric vehicleoperator wants to charge their electric vehicle only during periods oflower power rates.
 30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising anelectrical coupler to make a connection with an electric vehicle,wherein the control device is to turn electric supply on and off byswitching the electric coupler on and off.
 31. The apparatus of claim30, wherein the electric coupler is an outlet.
 32. The apparatus ofclaim 29, further comprising: a device to measure electricity usedduring charge transfer.
 33. The apparatus of claim 29, furthercomprising: a current measuring device to measure current flowing duringcharge transfer.
 34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the controlleris further configured to calculate power consumed during chargetransfer.
 35. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising: acommunication device coupled with the controller, the communicationdevice to receive the requests for charge transfer.
 36. The apparatus ofclaim 29, wherein the transceiver is to communicate requests for chargetransfer with the remote server via a data control unit that isconnected to the remote server through a wide area network.
 37. Theapparatus of claim 29, wherein the controller is further to managecharge transfer based on power grid load data received from the remoteserver.
 38. A method, comprising: receiving a first request for chargetransfer for a first electric vehicle of a first electric vehicleoperator; communicating the first request to a remote server fordetermination of whether to enable charge transfer; responsive toreceiving communication from the remote server to enable chargetransfer, enabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicle;receiving information that indicates that a second electric vehicleoperator wants to charge a second electric vehicle only during periodsof relatively lower power rates; receiving a second request for chargetransfer for the second electric vehicle, the second request beingreceived from the second electric vehicle operator; responsive todetermining a period of relatively lower power rates exist, enablingcharge transfer for the second electric vehicle; and responsive todetermining a period of relatively higher power rates exist, disablingcharge transfer for the second electric vehicle.
 39. The method of claim38, further comprising: responsive to detecting completion of the chargetransfer, disabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicle. 40.The method of claim 39, wherein disabling charge transfer for the firstelectric vehicle includes causing a control device of anetwork-controlled charge transfer device to turn off an electricsupply.
 41. The method of claim 38, wherein enabling charge transfer forthe first electric vehicle includes causing a control device of anetwork-controlled charge transfer device to turn on an electric supply.42. The method of claim 38, further comprising: measuring electricityused during charge transfer.
 43. The method of claim 38, furthercomprising: measuring current being transferred during the chargetransfer.
 44. The method of claim 38, further comprising: maintaining arunning total of charge transferred between the first electric vehicleand a power grid.
 45. The method of claim 38, further comprising:responsive to receiving communication from the remote server to disablecharge transfer for the first electric vehicle, disabling chargetransfer for the first electric vehicle.
 46. The method of claim 38,wherein the first request is received from an operator of the firstelectric vehicle.
 47. The method of claim 38, wherein communicating thefirst request to the remote server includes communicating the firstrequest to a data control unit that is connected to the remote serverthrough a wide area network.
 48. A method, comprising: receiving a firstrequest for charge transfer for a first electric vehicle; communicatingthe first request to a remote server for determination of whether toenable charge transfer; receiving communication from the remote serverthat indicates charging periods based on load management data; andresponsive to receiving communication from the remote server to enablecharge transfer, performing the following: determining charge transferparameters based on load management data, and enabling charge transferfor the first electric vehicle subject to the determined charge transferparameters.
 49. The method of claim 48, further comprising: responsiveto detecting completion of the charge transfer, disabling chargetransfer for the first electric vehicle.
 50. The method of claim 49,wherein disabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicleincludes causing a control device of a network-controlled chargetransfer device to turn off an electric supply.
 51. The method of claim48, further comprising: receiving information that indicates whether anelectric vehicle operator wants to charge their electric vehicle onlyduring periods of lower power rates; receiving a second request forcharge transfer for a second electric vehicle, the second request beingreceived from the electric vehicle operator of the second electricvehicle; responsive to determining a period of lower power rates exist,enabling charge transfer for the second electric vehicle; and responsiveto determining a period of higher power rates exist, disabling chargetransfer for the second electric vehicle.
 52. The method of claim 48,wherein enabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicle includescausing a control device of a network-controlled charge transfer deviceto turn on an electric supply.
 53. The method of claim 48, furthercomprising: measuring electricity used during charge transfer.
 54. Themethod of claim 48, further comprising: measuring current beingtransferred during the charge transfer.
 55. The method of claim 48,further comprising: maintaining a running total of charge transferredbetween the first electric vehicle and a power grid.
 56. The method ofclaim 48, further comprising: responsive to receiving communication fromthe remote server to disable charge transfer for the first electricvehicle, disabling charge transfer for the first electric vehicle. 57.The method of claim 48, wherein the first request is received from anoperator of the first electric vehicle.
 58. The method of claim 48,wherein communicating the first request to the remote server includescommunicating the first request to a data control unit that is connectedto the remote server through a wide area network.